The 50 Greatest Dr. Dre Beats Of All Time

It’s easy to pick a great Dr. Dre beat. Picking 50 of them isn’t too difficult either. Where the task gets hard is in sorting them out.

There are still some people in the XXL offices who are disagreeing with each other over where certain beats fell in the pecking order, and we are sure our faithful readers will do the same. As a matter of fact, we can’t wait to hear what from our readers what we got wrong, why number five should have been number 20, and why some beat we didn’t put on the list should have been included.

So without further ado, let’s get right into the 50 Greatest Dr. Dre beats of all time.
— Rondell Conway, Jozen Cummings, Adam Fleischer, Jesse Gissen, and Rob Markman

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Key

California Love…the extended version… should be #1.

TC

You gotta be fuckin kidding me that Dopeman wasn’t on this list!!! I was thinking that was top 5 hands down, maybe even number 1. I cant argue with Nuthin But a G Thang being number 1, but in my opinion its Dopeman. And for that track to be left off the list altogether! XXL really fucked that up!

triflin

say wha? DOPEMAN?? shit was weak dou man

nigga hater

fukk u niggurs

Key

I thought California Love…the extended version…should’ve been #1.

Nigga wuuut

Nigga u doin all this ish to promote D.R.E and Detox. We’re not blind. I wonder how much the Doc payed ya. The buzz is already at its highest level. Face it the hype aint gon get much bigga than this. DROP THA ISH.

Sure its gon be good but u should promote other niggas albums too. Nigga i aint seen 1 article about Redman’s new album…WHICH WAS DOPE-….. or Cube’s I Am The West which was aight. Fuck KanyeWest Fuck NickyMinaj fuck i dissapointed in XXL. Got2Go 4 the Source nigga.:/

wilson

fuck you too

nigga who?

ayo… one, the source is nothin but some bullshit.. two, cubes new album was probably his worst album ever put out.. three, xxl actually did do a story on redmans new album, it just wasnt immediately titled “redman’s new album, reggie,” you fucking idiot.. quit your bitching

it aint dre hypin his shit up, it’s the media, get a reality check baby boi

g

Nice to see the busta bitch ass haters out ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ lets you know that you’re still relevant…. stupid nigga..

Mutada Mullah Atari

^ This is a hip hop journalism web-site and magazine, they get PAID via the BIG ASS advertisments that you see pasted on eithier side of the page that you are looking at right now. You see puffy to the right, the Dirty money chicks to the left? Or the Nissan “Juke” advert? This is a FOR PROFIT Business… what about that do you not understand? They are supposed to promote the albums of the artists and corporations that PAY THIER SALARIES. Chill out… I’m a HUGE Cube fan, I believe his Death Certificate is one of the best hip hop records ever. But his new album was a fucking shit sandwich, and I need to check out that Redman asap.

HolyOne

I thought XXL staff were journalist…

Dj

Wait wait, We can freak it was produced by BattleCat??????Tell me if im wrong.

Still… cut the kid some slack, that was one of the FEW skippers on All Eyes On Me… dope track, but not a good mix for Pac, word is that was a track Suge punked Dre into giving Pac as was Cali Love, those were for the follow up to Chronic that never came out and turned into the lost Dre album “The Aftermath”

Dead President

no there werent any skippers on either disc homie chek ur shit .

StrifeDaGOD

dbys12 Die… please. Die horribly.

dayum

I can’t believe XXL actually got this 90 % right ! I disagree with where california love is, both the Eve trax, watcher, and that Mary J blige song I hated. But I didn’t think I’d see Imagine that with Snoop or Heat with 50 cent even on there. Good shit – some real rap heads at work here today…

dayum

but it must be some disconnect because 2pac had a few more tracks that should have been on here !

Justin

The List Looks Accurate, Just Put Deep Cover 1st, Then Nuthin But A G Thang.

sosa slick

All i can say no matter what the order is they all were STRAIGHT FIRE, point blank. Im bumpin’ in da club now and i miss how shady/aftermath use to run with the world with 3 Giants

jburg

I forgot how hot that “satifaction” beat was.

jburg

Poppin them thangs was that shit too!

mytinsultin

We Can Freak definitely was Battlecat & brings up my point that there are plenty of beats people give credit to Dre for when they are other producers whether he paid them outright for the beat, paid them to drop the most memorable pats on his beats, or he straight up gets credit for beats by association. Cause Dat Nigga Daz definitely doesn’t get the credit he deserves.

zayzkidd

My Top 5 Dr. Dre Beats:
1. Natural Born Killaz
2. What’s My Name (Doggystyle)
3. In Da Club
4. Nas Is Coming
5. Hate It or Love It

zayzkidd

How could they sleep on that Natural Born Killa?

zayzkidd

What about “Alwayz into Somethin” or “I Ain’t the One?” Yall don’t really have a clue.

zayzkidd

I gotta admit, them early Deathrow days is my favorite era in rap by far. Them dudes vibe was tight.

http://youtube.com/wiseguyue92 WiseGuy

Happy to see xxplosive as high as it is that’s my favorite

THE REALIST

Busta Rhymes….Break Ya Neck!!! where is that song???!!!!!

XXL….I Knew this was gone be some B.S.!!!

Mitch 3K

How the fuck is Natural Born Killers all the way down at The Bottom??………. Thats one of his greatest songs

SMH

http://www.xxlmag.com MyGameJustRewind

that eve ‘satisfaction’ could be replaced by the 50cent ‘okay, you’re right’. but that track will always be over looked b/c of 50′s weak assed lyrics on a banging track. it’s a top 25 instrumental easily…

http://wizemastering.com Nick Wiez

Yes still D.R.E. is one of the illest but Scott Storch did that piano loop…member Storch worked under Dre for a minute.

D

did he do “Break ya Neck”? That shit always gets shit poppin.

JY

i think he means where the fuck is U Cant C Me seeing as its not on the list lol. i agree it should be that track is unreal ALSO there missing The Watcher 2 and Lost Ones those beat are sick 2! my list goes…

“Alwayz into Somethin” birthed the entire G-Funk sound. And it was the shit. Should’ve been included.

“Real Niggaz Don’t Die” also.

“Boyz N The Hood”….that just seemed like an obvious one. Unless I missed it on the list.

“Gz Up Hoez Down”….Doggystyle was never the same without it.

“Livin Like Hustlers” by Above The Law was another early highpoint in the Dre catalog.

Also, didn’t Mahogany produced Bad intentions?

NAPTOWNNUISANCE

Natural Born Killaz at number 49? Really? That is by far top five or ten in my book.

NAPTOWNNUISANCE

Man I have to agree there is a lot of heat on here, but some really worth mentioning that come to mind that were left off the list.

The Formula with the D.O.C
G’d up- off of G-Unit by far the best track on that album
American Pyscho 1 and 2 off the D12 albums.
Stan-How could you leave that off?
Also the Dogg Pound Doggfood album was full of that Dre g-funk.

Hip Hop Broke My Heart

Bad Intention was produced by Mahagony – who wrote this article omg

carl

What a rubbish list. Not one track off N.W.A.’s second album. You are having a laugh.

Geir

Im surprised “The Message – 2001″ aint among the top 50:/

still best rite now!!

1.yall dropped the ball on this one, no “Boys in the Hood”??? thats one of the greatest Dre beats of all time!

2.”Cant C me” 2pac not in the top 50? c’mon son.

3.”In Da Club” wasnt even produced by Dre and that made the top 5? lol

http://xxl.com biged

what about game over with scarface,too short and cube over that ill beat from the bruce lee movie?? but fuckin eve ? jesus

gift

Everyone chill on dude. He was probably saying Where the Fuck is “U CANT C ME” by Pac. SMH.

jonny bizness

YO Dre got them joint’s you only appreciate him when i see all of them 2 gether like this here’s my top 10
1,the watcher but the one on jay’s album with the electric guitar

2,deep cover takes me back 2 the yo mtv raps days

3,Fast lane crazy beat jada ripped it as well

4,ain’t no fun nate dogg steals the cameo 4 me

5,tha shitnitz the sky becomes black y’all know the rest

6,fuck you remind me of summer 2000 devin steals it

7,imagine classic on a forgettable snoop album

8,Bitches ain’t shit realist shit ever

9,dre day classic easy e diss but i liked straight muthaf…. gz better

10,phone tap even liked the carl thomas faith joint as well

sb

stranded on death row should of been on there

Crist

.. slightly disappointed The Formula by The D.O.C. didn’t make the list, but Dre had a LOT of hot beats..

what, no eazy e, above the law? one d.o.c song? niggaz4life the entire album? jj fad, turn off the lights? who the fuck did this list? learn your history!

Abifornia

I understand that Dre had so many good beats that u can’t put all of them in the top 50. But no Busta’s Break Ya Neck? No Pac’s U can’t see me? No Dre’s ft. Snoop On the blvd? Shiiiiittt!!!!!!

TicNitty1

The list was good until I noticed only ONE f**king DOC trk made it. Where’s The Formula? Let The Bass Go? Doc & The Doctor?

Where’s Gameover by Scarface? WHat about some of the ish he did with Above The Law? Whoever did this needs to step their game up real quick. How are you going to have Ho’s A House and leave off some of those I mentioned?

TicNitty1

I just noticed after reading what DMW said but….

Where the hell is the trks off Eazy-Duz-It and N4life?!?!!!! Whoever composed this list needs to be whipped with razor wire.

westie

This just a rushed together list, there was no thought put into it at all, 2 tracks that shud of been there easily are Blackstreet’s ‘No Digitty’ and Busta Ryhmes ‘Break ya Neck’. and this is just another reason which goes to show who is responible for slowly killin hip hop music by trying to make us all think that kanye west is cool. Even some of the reviews they’ve given are the most inaccurate and couldnt be further from the truth, the way they thinkin is if theis person is hot out there give him an xl rating. peace out xxl

DJSpade

What’s My Name? G’z & Hustlaz? Boyz N Tha Hood? Role Model? (Eminem) Should have made a Top 100 istead!

jay

yea dat role model still knock

Hegimon

I thought this list was the 50 best Dr. Dre beats this is very disappointing. If this was the list of the best Dr. Dre songs that would be one thing, but the best beats ya’ll got this wrong. Nothing from the Niggaz 4 Life album are you serious!!! How doesn’t the D.O.C. “The Formula” make the list and “Dopeman” not on the list WTF and I don’t think even Dre was credited on the beat for “Bad Intentions” he just rapped on it. Opinions are Opinions and in my Opinion this list is missed the point.

Deez

Boyz n the hood??????

YGC

dis shit is real

Jflam

21. Bad Intentions wasn’t produced by Dre, but by Mahogany. Look it up.

oksfinest

Where is Break Ya Neck by Busta? C’mon

skanless

if its a busta beat its gotta be “holla” dam u guys suck at this hahaha

“Always Into Somethin” by NWA Greatest Dr. Dre beat of all time. Hands Down. Another L for this site

P

What about Knocturnal’s Str8 west coast or 40 Glocc’s Finer Thangzzz or Busta Rhyme’s Holla. Bishop Lamont’s Grow up

tim

start from scratch(game)

kedordu

fight music shouldnt be on there when nasty mind by d12 isnt .

NAPTOWNNUISANCE

3 SONGS THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN LEFT OFF THE LIST.
The Formula off of The D.O.C. ‘S album
Role Model off of The Slim Shady Lp
G’D Up off of The G-Unit album
( which was waaaay better than the track you put on here off that album ).
HONORABLE MENTION
BITCH PLEASE 2 OFF OF MMLP
BAAAAAAANGER

Grim_Reaper

still dre shud be #1

rutlo6

where the fuck is deez nutts. get rid of that bilal shit bosses life top 15, been there done that lazy, 36 and 35 c’mon son 35 is a masterpiece, fuck the police us a bad mutha fucka imagine is way better than how we do. nas is coming is actually the first and last time he blended perfectly with a east coast rapper X is signature but lazy let me ride cant be at 19 c’mon son, let me blow ya mind that shit was a smash I know he was felling himself on dat shit, where the fuck is high powered and deez nutz I know somebody was arguing for dem joints, tha shiznit is like caviar for any m.c., still dre – masterpiece, gin&juice weighs heavier than g thang, fuck that bilal joint

reed

lil geto boy

Al

wtf no chin Check on the list

NAPTOWNNUISANCE

No Black Superman? Or Obie Trices Shit hits the fan?

mr.4k

what about eazy-e’s boyz-n-da-hood! dat shit still bumps

J. White

I love these posts but make them one page so i don’t have to scroll down and click through 50 pages

joe

next episode should’ve been #1 and dopeman should’ve been in the top 10 at least

http://localislekker.net South Africa

there must be a “Doggystyle 2″ album

oskamadison

Without even lookin’ at this list…Best Dre beat of all time is still…NWA’s Express Yourself remix, especially the bonus beats.

Matt

Dre didn’t make the beat for Nuthin But A “G” Thang. The rhymes are so dope, but the music is ENTIRELY sampled. Check out “I Want’a Do Something Freaky to You” by Leon Haywood and tell me what you think.

Amanda1380

What about Six-2 His 3rd Verse??? He’s Got them Freaky Hoes clappin their hand stompin their feet. Makem wanna put their mouth on him.